What’s the next high tech gadget you’d like to buy?

The Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show starts today and runs through the weekend. Items on display are expected to include 3D televisions and tablet computers. What's the next high tech gadget you'd like to buy?

Comments from the Public Insight Network:

iPod/iPhone speakers because it would be nice to listen to podcasts and music on my iPhone while I'm cooking dinner, without having to plug in my headphones. -Joel Creswell, Madison, WI

Google Phone - I'd love to break free of my iPhone with a smartphone that lets anyone build applications and has an open source platform. The iPhone is amazing but the combination of AT&T's terrible service and apple's closed app store makes it a platform that is inherently anti-innovation. -Tim Brown, Salt Lake City, UT

Widescreen, hi-def LCDtv. I've been holding out for prices to get just that much cheaper. -Bryan Powell, Alexandria, VA

I need several devices or a combo. I want a small computer with a 2 terabyte hard drive, all wireless, small interpoint Braille printer with Grade 3 capability, refreshable braille display, and GPS to help me get around, built-in phone, datebook, address book, and texting. A money identifier would be nice, too. I'm not a big tech person alas! This mythical device could also have barcode scanning recognition technology so that I could scan something at the store. It could replace this old cumbersome computer on my desk and all these evil wires. or let's get real high tech and have something that would help me navigate the environment muchbetter like real eyes would--I am blind and hence the braille reference. -David Faucheux, Lafayette, LA

My first priority is a smart phone, but with that said, which one is the real question. I was close to going for an Android based one - I am leery of Blackberry's for some reason - but now my head is turned by the Google branded phone. More research is needed. I am not what you would call an early adopter. But I watch the trends and try to pick carefully. I need the features that most smart phones offer, including internet access (I'm on the road around the Detroit metro area a lot), navigation (see previous parenthesis), and calendar integration. I am not a gamer or a social networker, so texting is the most I would need. -Phil Hadley, West Bloomfield, MI

A laptop computer. A more mobile means to connect while working and at school. -Mark Cultice, Plymouth, IN

My husband and I are considering buying new smart phones and have been watching with interest the launch of the new Google phone. Given the recent comments on the Google phone, I think we may be going with the iPhone. I have recently opened up my own law practice and really need something other than a cell phone. I've been waiting to see recent developments and weighing the Blackberry vs. the iPhone but I think I am going with the iPhone. -Kathleen Lynch, Cary, NC

My 3.5 lb laptop is getting too heavy to log around, while my smartphone's screen is too small to be useful. A Smartbook would seem to be just right. And if they ever come up with a special magnifying attachment for my glasses (similar to the 3d glasses) so the screen would appear bigger, then it would be just about the perfect gadget. -Christine Turner, Alamgordo, NM

A CFV-39 39 Megapixel digital back for my Hasselblad 500CM camera. I have a serious investment in this camera system and, although the $15,000 price of this piece of equipment is still beyond my means, it sure beats the $50K plus that it would take to replace the entire camera system with an equivalent digital package. -Frank Gwirtz, Middlefield, OH

Apple Tablet. While I prefer a PC to a Mac, I've fallen in love with my iPhone/iTunes/AppleTV combo. -David Spitz, Raleigh, NC

I've been scouring the web looking for an iJob. I'm told they come in a variety of colors and the killer app is Livable Wage 2.0. I've had the honor of losing two newspaper jobs in 2009. I was laid off as photo editor from the Detroit Free Press, then I lost a job when the start-up newspaper I signed on with folded after five issues. I'm hoping that in 0h-ten I'll find another job to lose. -Rodney Curtis, Detroit, MI

I would like to buy an iPhone. It is more than a phone. I think it is something you need to have in today's world to make the most of the IT age. -Aswani, Pulipaka, Antioch, TN

A scanner. I am not wedded to gadgets per se. Live "classical" and Jazz is more my line. Being of Welsh decent, these are more interesting. To me, most gadgets are clutter. -Jerome Stephens, Warren, OH

Tablet. Might make me finally carry a purse/carryall after abandoning them 30 years ago. Screen big enough for surfing; touch screen, solving the mouse/trackpad problem; small and light enough for travel; WiFi. -Pat Zimmerman, Scappoose, OR

I do not want to buy anything else. I am saturated with technology that does not work that well. Most of the upgrades are incremental and variations on the previous versions. -Vladimir Druzhshchienschkyy, Roswell, GA

Equipment needed to build a conventional 1gbps Ethernet LAN for my home - firewall, router, switch, cables. -Richard Rodgers, Coats, NC

Someday I'd like to see someone market an Internet gadget that's sized in-between an iPhone and a netbook. I'm bifocally-challenged, so for me phones are a wee bit small for surfing the 'net, but I'd like something small enough to routinely carry in my purse, and a netbook is a wee bit big for that. Something in-between would be appealing. (But it would need to be priced smaller than a netbook, too.) -Anne Nolan, St. Cloud, MN

Parrot MKi9200 advanced Hands free car kit. Because this device is freaking awesome. It allowys you to listen to your iPod in your car, and wirelessly communicate with any Blueooth device, and stream audio, giving an affordable alternatively to an expensive bluetooth oem option. -Jim Fulner, Berkley, MI

A "home server" with a pair of Xeon 5500s, a boat-load of RAM, slots for 8 hot-swap enterprise SATA drives, twin GigE spigots, and this the most important part: running SUN's OpenSolaris with the ZFS filesystem. the existing "home NAS boxes" are, uh, nasty. i'm going to build one if somebody doesn't package one as a product. -Mike O'Dell, Herndon, VA

iPod Nano or iPod Touch. I'm just starting to consider that I might want more MP3 downloads instead of CDs. I want something I can dock with speakers because my speakers on my laptop aren't loud enough. I'm thinking of going more high end just to do my bit to stimulate the economy. Yeah, I know, way behind the curve. -Kim Connolly, Hartford, CT

A firewall that disconnects us from all the liars, beggars and scam artists originating from places like Nigeria or the Czech Republic. It's bothersome having to sift through a lot of nonsense email, and when you've been 'forced' to find work by using the internet, it's a deliberate tax on my productivity. -Steven Sciotto, Jupiter, FL

The Apple iSlate, of course! I want a portable computer that does everything, just like my iPhone does (almost)--only with a bigger screen and larger virtual keyboard. I want the iSlate to have video conferencing, TV programs, movies, and e-books on it, too. In short, I want it to do everything I need/want! -Vicki Porter, Los Angeles, CA

Google Nexus One. I'm a big fan of the google suite and would like to buy a phone that's legally unlocked. -Joshua Ferguson, Ypsilanti, MI

Whatever it is, I want voice recognition so I can ask it questions and get answers like Star Trek! The social media opportunities are passing me by. I am intimidated with the need for facile thumbs and an innate understanding of electronics. -Gerri Batchelor, Cary, NC

I don't know I have just about everything. iPod Touch, iPhone, digital camera, digital video camera, Kindle, GPS watch, GPS device, TabletPC, desktop PC, don't know what else there is. But if you tell me, I'll probably buy it. -Michelle Hunt, Durham, NC

Apple's new iSlate. I love my iPhone, but would love to see something with a larger screen. -Bren Smith, Rough & Ready, CA

Nexus One (Google) Android phone. We are fast becoming a wireless technology culture. I've heard there are more mobile web browsers than desktops. To stay current with what's happening in our world and to sate my curiosity for new trends, owning using this technology is a must. -Kevin Stirtz, Burnsville, MN

An AIS transciever for my sailboat. I am hoping to start a sailboat charter business and would like to have the Automatic Ship Identification unit so I can know the name of ships in my area and so I can contact them on the radio if I need to. -Mike Girardo, Centereach, NY

I'm definitely looking for a smartphone to help with my self-employed business. But first, cellphone coverage in rural areas must become a reality. There are portions of African nations with better cellphone coverage than here in Maine. Working on a variety of projects, from within my home and on site in remote areas of this island town, I need to have effective communications that will talk to multiple devices. -Jeffrey Aronson, Vnalhaven, ME

The Google Phone. It's time for me to step up to a smart phone and I believe Google plans on selling the phone without requiring a restrictive service contract similar to iPhone/ATT's set up. -Bennett Dawson, Fairfield, VT

A tablet PC with multi-touch. I spend a lot of time away from home and main PC, and laptops are generally so cumbersome that I never bother to carry one (even though I own an adequate one for basic net use and writing). A tablet would be far more portable, more likely to be used casually, and more likely to encourage me to work on illustrations and graphic designs (which is an exercise in tedium and Ctrl+Z with a touchpad and annoyingly slow with a mouse or trackball). -David Artman, Durham, NC

Home media center server or gadget to consolidate digital music and photos. If possible, also use the same gadget to consolidate selected data files for backup, either to burned CD's, DVD's, flash drive, or across the internet to a backup service. Microsoft sells a Windows home server OS flavor geared to this purpose, but I'd like to avoid having another Windows server to manage. -Thomas Gronke, Portland, OR

A device not even announced yet: the expected/anticipated Apple tablet. Next after that will be a new iPhone, since mine is going to be two years old this summer. I always enjoy being "in the know", and I really appreciate the Apple ecosystem - by their being able to completely manage the experience to be one of simplicity, power, and integration, they are able to provide a fantastic user experience that no other tech company can achieve. Their tablet should bring more power and capability in a scaled-up iPhone-like device. With the success achieved with the iPhone, many people are waiting for this new product. -Brian Filipiak, Ypsilanti, MI

Western Digital's WD TV Live appliance. Video from the web, network, or storage. Less sneakernet to get the video I obtain from the interwebs to the TV. No commercials, ditch when bored, but watching from the couch instead of at my desk. -Graham Gibby, New Orleans, LA

Apple Tablet. It will be small. It will be light. I will love it. -Elizabeth Carlassare, Mountain View, CA

I don't intend to ever buy another high tech gadget. I'm going to use my computer less, turn off my TV, resist buying a cell phone, and get out and walk and snowshoe and talk in person to my neighbors. There is something else to living that so many seem to have forgotten. -Katherine DelaNoy, Keene, NH

The new boxee box/remote (http://www.boxee.tv/box). Developments like this are finally bringing an end to physical media (DVDs, CDs, etc) and making it easier to share videos and music with friends. -Tim Bornholdt, Richfield, MN

The latest iPod. I love listening to audio books while I run. -Sandra Busta, Santiago, Chile

An iPhone with a monthly plan I can afford! Would love to finally get the information and functions i most need in the places I most want them - usually away from my desk - through an interface that is designed for the way humans think, at a price that is reasonable. -David Posada, Portland, OR

Wacom cintiq 12wx LCD digitizing tablet. I'd like to develop software to turn hand drawing into text and geometric shapes. I think this would be more intuitive approach to drawing programs than currently available software. I saw technology like this demonstrated back in the 1980's, but outside of some handwriting recognition I can find commercial software like this. -David Wiley, Longmont, CO

A monitor that is huge - takes up all the wall space and desktop space of my cube so I can see everything I want to see while I do my work. -Lisa Twede, Burbank, CA

Tablet PDA device (like the device Apple is rumored to be developing). I VERY much like the idea of the iPhone, but paying $70/mo + $100 to buy the thing ($1,800) is just WAY out of line. Especially since the battery can't be changed and there is no memory card slot. If the new device allows reading of books, newspapers, magazines, etc. (in color) AND does what an iPhone can do - then (if it's not too big or heavy), I'm in. -Peter Loftspring, Overland Park, KS

Apple's tablet. Apple makes very cool things, and I would like something for travel that accesses wifi/email, can be used for an ebook, and has all kinds of good stuff in a lightweight package. -Barry Curtiss-Lusher, Denver, CO

Probably some kind of e-reader. We travel a lot and I find myself loaded down with books. -Dick Brandlon, Portland, OR

I think that I'll be getting an iPod. This is not new technology but the library now has books that can be downloaded and since I like to listen to books on my commute this sounds like a great way to have access to a lot more books than the library presenting carries CDs for. -Bonnie Rothman, Staten Island, NY

Blackberry cell phone. I need it. Well. . . I guess I could do without it, but I have used a Palm for the past several years and like the way it helps me stay organized. It is truly a personal assistant. I use it for all of my organizing and scheduling needs, professionally and personally, including the calendar, email, and "to do" features of the device. I am switching to a Blackberry only because my cell phone service (AT&T) no longer offers service with Palm devices. -JoLynn Collins, Durham, NC

Comments texted to MPR:

I want the droid verizon phone. -Phil, Edina, MN

I would love a Nexus One. -Sidney, Minnetonka, MN

I'd like to buy a bluetooth audio receiver by Belkin. -Sean, Burnsville, MN

Can't wait till Apple comes out with a tablet Mac. Made the switch to Mac and will never go back to Microsoft. -Dan, Minneapolis, MN

I can't wait for pocket projector technology to reach mainstream products; a projector built into my phone or netbook would be awesome! -anonymous

Tablet computer. -John Ganske, Mankato, MN

Next high tech gadget: a clothes folding machine. -James R., Marshall, MN

I'd like to buy a transporter so I don't have to drive in this weather! -Travis, Minneapolis, MN

Share your reply in the comments: What's the next high tech gadget you'd like to buy?

• Thank you!
• Should gun makers be allowed to create handguns that look like cellphones?
• What is your reaction to Tay, Microsoft’s AI chat-bot that learned to be racist?
• Do you support the reopening of a private prison in Appleton?